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Karlovic makes more history in Aus Open epic

The man responsible for the second-longest Australian Open match ever has achieved some more unique history in another marathon five-setter.

Ivo Karlovic, the oldest man at 38 in the Australian Open men's draw, advanced to the third round with a titanic five-set win over Japan's Yuichi Sugita on Wednesday.

The 89th-ranked Croat needed over four-and-a-half hours in stifling heat before extinguishing the No.41 ranked Sugita 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (3/7), 7-5, 4-6, 12-10.

He is the oldest man to reach the third round of the Australian Open for 40 years.

He did it again! Image: Getty
He did it again! Image: Getty

The big-serving Croat served up 53 aces, made 110 winners and just two service breaks in the marathon match.

It marked the seventh time in his career that he's notched over 50 aces in a match, extending his own world record.

John Isner is second on that list with two 50-plus matches.




The Croat also extended his record as the oldest man to win a Grand Slam match since Jimmy Connors was 40 at the 1992 US Open with his win over Sugita, 29.

At the 2017 Australian Open, Karlovic prevailed 22-20 in the fifth set in a five-hour 15-minute match against Hector Zabellos.

The fifth set alone lasted two hours and 37 minutes.

Time-wise, the match fell just 38 minutes short of the longest in Australian Open history, the five-hour and 53 minute final between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal in 2012.

with agencies